BEESLEY’S POINT – Just over a year ago, residents were shocked when they learned that lab tests showed their well water contained dangerous levels of mercury.
Equally shocking was the news, some time afterward, that the lab results had been tampered with to indicate those high levels.
The state Department of Environmental Protection said at the time that it would be seeking civil, regulatory and criminal penalties against the responsible party or parties, and that the state Office of the Attorney General had already been notified.
But the Attorney General’s Office this month repeated a statement issued in August, that it “can neither confirm nor deny an investigation.”
The Cape May County Department of Health and the DEP have declined to comment on the matter, saying it is not their investigation.
The concern over water quality began in spring 2024 with a Beesley’s Point resident whose girlfriend was leery about drinking untreated well water. The resident reportedly had his water tested in May of that year, and by August and September about a dozen wells in the Bayaire Road/Homestead Court area of Beesley’s Point were identified as containing mercury. One family was notified by a private well-testing company not to use their water at all.
But on Oct. 17, 2024, the DEP conducted tests on water samples from 12 wells, and results ranged from “no detect” to 0.066 ppb. None tested over the 2 parts per billion safety limit set for drinking water by federal guidelines.
On Oct. 28, 2024, DEP Commissioner Shawn LaTourette told a meeting room packed with Upper Township residents that some of the water samples taken from wells in Beesley’s Point were tampered with to show there were dangerous levels of mercury in the groundwater.
“Some of the initial samples were adulterated,” LaTourette said via Zoom.
At that Oct. 28 meeting, Gwen Zervas, director of the DEP’s Division of Remediation Management, Contaminated Site Remediation and Redevelopment, gave a PowerPoint presentation on the testing and results. The DEP took well water samples from Bayaire and Homestead roads properties in Beesley’s Point, followed by tests from other locations.
Earlier tests, in August and September 2024, found 14 wells in the area where results showed mercury levels far in excess of 2 ppb. The results, from Cape Environmental Testing Laboratory, from Bayaire Road came back ranging from “no detect” to 14,000 ppb. Results from Homestead Road were all below the safety standard.
Cape May County was advised of the positive results and the DEP was notified. Subsequently, at least 20 wells were tested, and seven were found to contain hazardous levels of mercury. On Oct. 10, 2024, DEP representatives met with county and township officials to discuss the matter and the “next steps for residents whose private wells are impacted” by mercury, DEP press officer Caryn Shinske said.
But 18 days later the DEP commissioner said the original samples were tampered with and follow-up tests showed no mercury above safe levels.
Upper Township Mayor Curtis Corson said on Monday, Nov. 10, that he has not heard of a final outcome of the investigation.
Contact the reporter, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or call 609-886-8600, ext. 128.
